Answer (1 of 43): To start by answering the question, I'd say - yes. James Posey shared the culture that made the 2008 Boston Celtics experience so unique. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In total, Larry Bird went to five NBA finals in his career. The Lakers were indeed the thoroughbreds that year. In MVP voting, Bird dominated the competition as he took home his third straight MVP award. It seemed like it should be an easy series for the Celtics, with game one and two victories by double digits, but the Knicks home crowd helped their team to win all their series home games. Even with Jordan exploding, only game two was close at 135-131. Houston Rockets 4-2, Larry Bird Championship #2: 1984 Boston Celtics, 1984 First Round: Celtics def. He won his second NBA Finals MVP. Boston Celtics, 1st round (6th pick, 6th overall), 1978 NBA Draft, Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1998 (Full List), More Larry Bird pages at Sports Reference. The Cs shut the door at home in game 5 winning 115-108. Fox believes the Westbrook is the most scrutinized player in the NBA, while also stating that everyone inside the league loves Westbrook, regardless of what the outside perception may be, Arenas believes that the Grizzlies should ignore Morant's actions because every other team would and he's a productive player for them, Tim Hardaway told his favorite Run TMC story involving Don Nelson which resulted to an unforgettable moment for the group. 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, "Here Are Some Final Facts on NBA Playoffs", Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs, The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1984_NBA_Finals&oldid=1141615206, 20th century in Los Angeles County, California, Basketball competitions in Inglewood, California, May 1984 sports events in the United States, June 1984 sports events in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, No. He was the only NBA Rookie of the Year, MVP, Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the . The Celtics won the third and final title of the Bird era with a victory over the twin towers of the Houston Rockets. Larry Bird won his first NBA Finals MVP. So, for me, being back in the old Boston Garden for Game 7, with twelve seconds left on the clock, and knowing that we were going to be world champions when absolutely no one gave us a chance but usthat is the thing that I remember the most.. It didnt take the Lakers long to learn, but in that series, it was the element of surprise that we needed. Small Forward and Power Forward 1981 was against the Houston Rockets where Cedric Maxwell was the NBA Finals MVP. Despite the changes, it did not stop the Lakers from finishing with the best record (5428) in the Western Conference, powered by their one-two punch of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson. Bird averaged 24 points per game as Boston won the series in six to net him his THIRD ring. I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. Larry Bird stats . Michael Cooper Explains What Made Larry Bird 'Larger Than Life' Johnson evened the series after helping the LA . Houston had a tough road to the Finals: they beat the defending champion Lakers featuring both. The Western Conference Finals also led to one of the greatest game-winners ever. After dispatching MJ, the Cs cruised by Dominique Wilkins and the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semis. Larry Bird Boston Celtics Autographed Wilson Replica - Walmart Big Names Off the Bench: Jerry Sichting, Bill Walton and Scott Wedman. He worked the first half, but was replaced by John Vanak for the second half. The Lakers defeated the Celtics in the finals twice, preventing Bird from having any more NBA titles. In 1985, the Lakers beat the Celtics behind FInals MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. Larry Bird NBA Finals Stats | StatMuse Birds Pacers swept the Bucks and the Sixers in the first two rounds of the playoffs and looked likely to make it to the finals as they came up against the eight seed New York Knicks in the conference finals. The Larry Bird Finals Record was first recorded by Bill Simmons in his book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. Despite playing for another five seasons after his last title, Bird would retire with three NBA championships. Take a look below. Referee Hugh Evans became dehydrated and fainted at one point in the first half. Larry Bird picked up the 1984 MVP award and led his Celtics to the first seed in the Eastern Conference with a 62-20 overall record. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. It went back and forth but the Celtics were able to walk away with a massive victory to seal the series. Games. The Celtics snuck past the Philadelphia 76ers in 7 games after the Sixers had taken a 3-1 lead to open the series. Larry Bird Reacts to Eastern Conference Finals MVP Trophy Named After Him. Why did David Stern Veto the Chris Paul to the Lakers Trade? Is LeBron James better than Larry Bird? - Quora Sample Searches for learning more about the power and flexibility of Stathead. Larry Bird: Biography. They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. The Bulls had swept the Knicks 2-0 in a best-of-three first round. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. That might seem unbelievable this is coming from a man who famously asked his Three-Point Contest peers who was coming in second but it largely fits within Birds character. Los Angeles Lakers 4-3, Larry Bird Championship #3: 1986 Boston Celtics, 1986 First Round: Celtics def. . The type of player who didnt even care about stats but always seemed to put up the most absurd statlines ever seen. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope), Position: I am fully convinced that anyone under the age of 40 will never admit Larry Bird was a better player than Stephen Curry. Traditional Finals stats: 19.4 points, 11.7 assists and 7.9 rebounds in 50 games Finals rank: . The Lakers then inbounded the ball and Magic Johnson inexplicably dribbled the clock out during regulation time. Featuring prime Larry Legend, apex Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson. Michael Jordans First Championship: An Epic Run! Despite this, Bird did not win any championships during his college career. Sadly for Bird, Michigan State were just too much for him as the Spartans ran out 75-64 winners. The Celtics beat the Lakers 4-3, winning by nine points in the deciding Game 7. Stephen Curry is now a career 21-4 (.840) in playoff series - Reddit He banked in a shot with a minute to go to put the Cs ahead for good and they won 91-90. Bird averaged 28.7 points, 10.5 rebounds and 6.6 assists across the regular season as the Celtics once again topped the eastern conference. Larry Bird Championship #1: 1981 Boston Celtics, 1981 Conference Semis: Celtics def. Game 7 at the Boston Garden was one for the ages! The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. Allen Iverson Jersey Mitchell and Ness: A Complete Guide. At the macro level, the famous won three titles with the Boston Celtics. In the first two NBA matchups between Bird and Magic . WATCH: Every play by Larry Bird in the 1981 NBA Finals vs. the Rockets The 1987 Finals was the culmination of Magic and Bird's decade-long rivalry that dominated the NBA. 1981 NBA Finals - Wikipedia The games were close enough but never really in doubt. Larry Bird Playoffs Game Log | Basketball-Reference.com After altering wins with the Lakers, the Celtics won Game 7 and the series with a score of 111102. The 1986 team is among the greatest teams to ever take the hardwood. 2022-23 Season Schedule; There's always a mystique about players that played before the 90's because we don't have all the data, stats etc as we have to. And after watching the Lakers face the Philadelphia 76ers twice during the 1982 and 1983 Finals, they were determined to win in 84. The Bucks were led in the series, as they had been in the regular season, by wing Marques Johnson and Hall of Fame guard Sidney Moncrief. James has as many series losses in the Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird combined. He stayed loyal to the Celtics throughout his entire career and they were the team that reaped the benefits of his five NBA Finals appearances and three NBAchampionships. He led the Cs to a Conference Finals appearance once or twice in the ensuing years but the team just wasnt nearly as competitive anymore and it was obvious that Larry was getting up there in age. The Celtics got the better of their Showtime Lakers rivales in a heated seven game series to claim the 1984 NBA Title. Do you have a sports website? * Larry Bird was injured and missed the playoffs in 1989. His first MVP award was in 1984. Larry Bird - Stats, Age & Height - Biography The Larry Bird Finals Record is a statistic of the player who most often wins the NBA Finals. larry bird finals record - josieya After a tough seven game series in the conference finals against the Sixers, Boston advanced to the finals to face the Rockets. Despite good performances from Bird, Magic Johnson outplayed him as the jumbo sized Lakers guard won finals MVP. The Celtics had hope they could avenge the loss of two years prior. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? Of the subsequent finals, Basketbawful writes, "the Lakers played great and the Boston bench sucked. Bird: "So you're overpaid.". This series was an eye-opener into how good the Celtics were this season. Celtics Starters: Danny Ainge, Dennis Johnson, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. Those other two times? Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? . Cedric Maxwell, Larry Birds teammate, was awarded Finals MVP with 18-9-3. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. The Rockets swept the Sacramento Kings in round 1, then took six games to get by a fun Denver Nuggets team starring Alex English and Fat Lever. Exclusive Q&A with former Charlotte star Cornbread Maxwell | Charlotte The Sixers took an 89-82 lead with five+ minutes to go. Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! The 1985 NBA Finals & Brawling Larry Bird 1984: Larry Bird: Boston Celtics: No stats available. The 1984 NBA Finals is considered one of the most epic series in league history. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. FGA, TRB, AST, PF, GS over 99% complete back to 1975-76. Jayson Tatum passed Larry Bird for the most 30 point games What is Larry Bird's record in the NBA Finals? - Quora In Game 3, the Lakers raced to an easy 137-104 victory as Magic Johnson dished out 21 assists, an NBA Finals record. Simmons says that he got the idea from watching basketball and looking at player statistics. Some of Johnson's notable performances against Bird: As for some of Bird's notable performances against Johnson: Johnson and Bird played against each other 19 times in the playoffs over the course of three NBA Finals. Get to know Larry Bird: Stats, records and more - RSN 0:00. Houston Rockets 4-2, who would briefly play with Bird later in his career, the greatest non-final series in NBA history, Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. Flynn. Bird's Pacers fell in the East finals in '98 and '99, then came up short in the NBA Finals in 2000 against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics struggled to slow down finals MVP Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bird struggled compared to his incredibly high standards. Sadly for Bird, the Pacers lost the series in six games. But it is also quite possible even probable that Larry Bird cost the Celtics the 1985 NBA championship.". If you are interested in Larry Bird Championships, you might be interested in checking out some of these posts I have written about Larry Legend. The top 31 players and coaches, In 1981, the Celtics beat a Houston Rockets team featuring, In 1984, Birds Celtics beat the Showtime Lakers featuring, In 1986 the Celtics defeated a pretty different Houston Rockets squad. Despite the similarities, the Lakers won the series in six games. The Sixers had an incredible roster featuring three Hall of Famers in Julius Dr. Regular season: PTS, FG, FT, 3P complete all-time. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. The Philidelphia 76ers were led by NBA Hall of Famer Julius Erving, Andrew Toney, and Darryl Dawkins. Larry Bird was one of the most polished rookies to enter the league and was great for the Celtics right from game one. Celtics forward Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). Larry Mangurian announced that he was selling the team because of difficulties with the owners of the Boston Garden. With a new head coach in KC Jones and plenty of uncertainties, Carr said their motto for the season was Dont be denied. Cedric Maxwell averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists to win Finals MVP. So for an entire decade, the NBA Finals included one of the two marquee franchises. When discussing his legacy with Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press (h/t the Daily Hampshire Gazette), Bird didnt take much time to sing his own praises. Houston Rockets in 6 games (4 wins, 2 losses) * 1984: Boston Celtics def. Michael Cooper Backs Larry Bird and Blasts JJ Redick, Calling Him a Poor Mans Danny Ainge. Its pretty easy to forget how many times Bird has been in the NBA Finals with all of the many accolades and unbelievably, but true, stories about him. Larry Bird - 1981 Finals (All Points + Passing & Rebounding) While he didnt change who he was if anything, the Hick from French Lick was remarkably consistent he had an incredibly low-key take when it came to his own legacy. Johnson and Bird met at the NBA Finals three times in 1984, 1985 and 1987. Answer (1 of 2): Larry Bird has been in the NBA Finals 5 times as a player, all while playing with the Boston Celtics. But what is Larry Birds record in the NBA Finals? Larry Bird's career NBA stats. Here's when Larry Bird, Magic Johnson learned they have a lot - Yahoo The teams traded games throughout the series. Head to Head: Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson. In terms of individual honors, he won the 1979-80 Rookie of the Year title, claimed three MVP crowns, and earned two NBA Finals MVP nods. (the Lakers) learned a valuable lesson. 1983: Moses Malone: C: The Celtics swept the Bulls after getting a bye in the first round for winning the Atlantic Division. Jordan averaged an insane 43.7 points, 5.7 assists and 6.3 rebounds for this. Bird poured in 39 in game 7 to lead the Cs to 30.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 7.1 assists for the series. Even when he found fame and fortune, the NBA star never forgot his humble roots. Fans gave Bird a standing ovation when he was introduced. Bird vs. Magic: Stats, Rings & Head-to-Head Record | Heavy.com How Larry Bird was robbed of the 1981 NBA playoff and - CelticsBlog The Celtics did not warm up with their sweat pants on because of extreme heat, and an oxygen tank was provided to give air to an aging Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He and Chauncey Billups are the only two retired players to win Finals MVP but not to make the Hall of Fame. And they werent. Here are some of the records and historical rankings that Larry Bird achieved at Indiana State: A member of the 2,000-point, 1,000-rebound club: 2,850 points and 1,247 rebounds Indiana State's all . The 1984 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 198384 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. In Birds career with Indiana State he did not ever win a championship. The three finals victories are outlined above, but Bird also had two finals losses. Who Did Larry Bird Defeat in the NBA Finals? The NBA Finals series was closer than either of the Conference Finals. Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! Your email address will not be published. That NCAA tournament final is one of the most iconic games in college basketball history. In his second season with the Celtics, Boston finished first in the East as they had done the previous year. The famous forward might not have been the most athletic man ever to hit the hardwood, but that wasnt a problem. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? By: HoopsHype. The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first . "Wilt . Larry Bird Had a Perfectly Understated Response While Discussing His Fast forward a couple of seasons and Bird marched his team back into the 1984 postseason. No one thought we could beat the Lakers. Larry Bird | Boston Celtics | NBA.com According to Basketball Reference, Johnson and Bird played against each other 18 times in the regular season throughout their careers. Larry Bird won three NBA championships in his basketball career. Birds mother, Georgia, once said that she couldnt fathom he sons NBA salary and, despite his earning power, insisted that she wasnt out buying expensive clothes. 1st seed in the West, 2nd best league record. After the game a Laker fan threw a beer at Celtics guard M.L. Los Angeles Lakers in 7 games (4 wins, 3 losses) * 1985: Los Angeles Lak. You can't tell the story of the 1980s without Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. The Celtics then took the series lead for the first time by winning Game 5 but the thoroughbred Lakers sent the series to a Game 7 with their own double-digit win. 1984 was against the Los Ange. Larry Bird is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. We have seen some teams lose in the NBA Finals off of some injuries and other situations leading up to it that the box score doesnt show, so lets dive into Birds record. Despite getting swept in the 1983 NBA Finals by the Philadelphia 76ers, the Lakers entered the season among the favorites to win the title. Two years after his first finals loss to the Lakers, the re-match was on. Larry led the way and averaged 27-14-4 to lead the team to the championship, along with his first Finals MVP. In the final game of the tournament, Larry Bird and his erstwhile unbeaten Indiana State Sycamores lost to Magic Johnson and his Michigan State Spartans by the score of 7564. Required fields are marked *. It was a tough six game slugfest with the Houston Rockets but Bird and company were just too good. Larry Bird's 1986 Playoff Stats . [2] It was also the last time that a team with home court advantage in the NBA finals played Game 5 on its own floor until 2014. He was named NBA Head Coach of the Year in 1998. Big Names Off the Bench: Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, Quinn Buckner, Scott Wedman. The Cs won a couple home games to start the series then lost a close one on the road. Cedric 'Cornbread' Maxwell speaks out on GOAT, today's NBA, Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird. Larry Joe Bird (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Right 6-9, 220lb (206cm, 99kg) . Bird scored almost 26 points per game in winning his third-straight MVP award. Some of the greats Bird defeated in the playoffs include Moses Malone, Julius Dr. When Larry Bird Began His Coaching Career, He Revealed - Sportscasting All the playoff action was documented on the 1984 NBA Season documentary Pride and Passion, narrated by Dick Stockton. The expected CelticsLakers finals, however, never happened. After that the series was all Lakers, they won four of the next five games to end the series in six and hand Larry his first Finals loss. As for their averages, Johnson posted 20.7 points, 13.5 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game in their head-to-head matchups in the Finals compared to Bird's 25.3 points, 11.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists. The first two meetings of the season between Cleveland and Boston took OT, but the Celtics were able to sneak a 117-113 win at home. At the risk of boring you with a list of his all-time accomplishments, well run through an abbreviated version of Birds body of work. They did make the playoffs the year after and many thought that they would easily repeat at first. Larry Bird's continuing influence on the game of basketball crossed a new threshold . At that time, Bird also expressed unhappiness over Mangurians decision to sell the team, and he was one of the players who defended Fitch after they were swept by the Bucks. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. Noise Group Limited is a UK registered company. Bill suffered through injuries for much of his career but appeared in 80 games for the Celtics. Both times it was to his rival dating back to college: Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers. In the playoffs, the team went 15-3 en route to winning the championship. Another book that demonstrated the competitive drive amongst athletes was, Magic/ Bird written by Eric Simonson. But it was in 1986 when the Celtics faced the Houston Rockets for the championship when Bird . Magic Johnson's rivalry with Larry Bird sparked greatest NBA Finals Answer (1 of 6): Larry Bird (basketball player) was 3-2 in the NBA Finals. L.A. went on to blow out the Celtics in Game 3 but the resilient Celtics responded with a 129-125 OT win in Game 4 which was sealed by Carrs steal at the buzzer. Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. Bird does not have any titles outside of the NBA, despite making the NCAA tournament final in 1979. They were the thoroughbreds, we were the Clydesdales., It was a very physical series, and thats exactly what we wanted because we knew thats the only way we could beat those guys. NAME DATE SEASON SERIES TM OPP REC W% MIN PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV FGM FGA FG% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% PF +/-Magic Johnson: 5/27/1984: 1983-84 . Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. Being the reigning MVP, there were big expectations for Bird in the 1984-85 season. If you remember, there was Kevin McHales hit on Kurt Rambis, and there was Larry Bird bumping Michael Cooper out of bounds. Legends profile: Larry Bird | NBA.com In Game 4, the Lakers had a five-point game lead with less than a minute to play, but made several execution errors, including Magic Johnson's bad pass to Robert Parish late in the fourth quarter, and missing two crucial free throws in OT as the Celtics tied the game and then came away with a 129-125 victory in overtime. In 1980, 1982, 1985 and 1988, Johnson led the Los Angeles Lakers to championships, winning three Finals MVPs along the way. As weve mentioned, all these players were inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Lakers drew first blood but Boston evened the series in Game 2. Larry Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 & 1986, the trophy would go to his teammate Cedric Maxwell in 1981. Bird's 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (1984). The couple has two adopted children named Conner Mariah.. Family. However, this changed in the 1979 season when Birds Indiana State qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. He won his second NBA Finals MVP. In his first season as Pacers coach, Indiana finished third in the east, having finished tenth the prior season. Larry Bird: College basketball stats, best moments, quotes During that year Lesley Visser, Stockton's wife, became the first woman to cover the NBA Finals for CBS. I write about games, players and seasons from the past. Jayson Tatum's 25th birthday | ksdk.com Both these players were representing teams from their home States, adding extra spice to the whole thing. Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. Known as "Larry Legend," Bird has achieved incredible success in his career, earning multiple awards and holding numerous records. The Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA Finals in 1984, 1985, and 1987 with Bird and Cooper going at it. Nobody thought that the Celtics would beat the Lakers in 1984. The seeds of the 1984 Finals were first sown five years earlier, during the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.In the final game of the tournament, Larry Bird and his erstwhile unbeaten Indiana State Sycamores lost to Magic Johnson and his Michigan State Spartans by the score of 75-64. Do you have a blog? How Many Games Did Larry Bird Miss A Season Due To Injury | StatMuse However, despite sweeping the Bulls in the first round again, they had serious issues the next few.
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